1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for evaluating lyophobicity of an inner wall of a fine tube including a lyophobic film formed on the inner wall.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-334452 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a method and system for evaluating lyophobicity of a wall of a fine channel, the wall being subjected to lyophobic treatment. In the evaluating method and system, a solution is fed into a fine tube in such a manner that an interface between the solution and air is formed, light or ultrasound is applied to the solution while the concentration or temperature of the solution is being continuously varied, and the reflection or the transmittance is then measured. That is, in the procedure, lyophobic treatment to which the inner wall of the fine tube is subjected is evaluated based on a point of time when the air-solution interface, of which the shape is continuously varied, becomes flat.
According to Patent Document 1, lyophobicity of the entire inner wall is evaluated; hence, the method and system cannot be used to evaluate the lyophobicity of an inner wall having a boundary between lyophobic portion and a lyophilic portion at a specific position of the inner wall. Furthermore, no information about the position of the boundary can be obtained.